Active head restraint for a vehicle seat

• US 7,894,960 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Farquhar, Mark A., Yetukuri, Arjun, Veine, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr.; Milton
• Application Number:
  US12/060,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 701/45, 701/49
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/22 Optical; Photoelectric; Lidar [Light Detection and Ranging]
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm

Abstract

An active head restraint system is disclosed with an actuator, a sensor, and a controller. The controller receives an impact signal from a triggering element, receives the position of an occupant'"'"'s head, actuates the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head, and controls actuation to optimize head restraint movement as the head restraint moves proximate to the occupant'"'"'s head. In another embodiment, the controller also manipulates head restraint velocity to optimize the velocity toward the occupant'"'"'s head. Also presented is a method for actuating an active head restraint system for a vehicle seat. The method includes sending an impact signal to a controller, receiving the position of an occupant'"'"'s head, transmitting the received position of the occupant'"'"'s head to a controller, actuating the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head, and controlling head restraint actuation to optimize head restraint movement as it moves proximate to the occupant'"'"'s head.

Claims

1. An active head restraint system comprising:

an actuator adapted to be mounted to a vehicle seat for actuating a head restraint;

a sensor for detecting a position of an occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint; and

a controller in communication with the actuator, the sensor, and a triggering element for detecting a current or impending impact event, the controller comprising computer executable instructions to;

receive an impact signal;

receive the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint as input to determine whether to enable actuation of the head restraint;

actuate the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head based on the input; and

control head restraint actuation in response to the impact signal and the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint to optimize movement of the head restraint as the head restraint moves proximate to the occupant'"'"'s head.

2. The active head restraint system of claim 1 further comprising the triggering element for detecting an impact event.

3. The active head restraint system of claim 1 wherein the sensor transmits a signal to enable the actuator when the head is not in contact with the head restraint, the actuator being enabled during one or more instances of non-contact.

4. The active head restraint system of claim 3 wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to:

receive a frontal impact signal from the triggering element which enables head restraint actuation;

receive the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint;

actuate the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head; and

control head restraint actuation in response to the impact signal and the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint to optimize movement of the head restraint as the head restraint moves proximate to the occupant'"'"'s head.

5. The active head restraint system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensor and actuator are disabled after a pre-determined time after impact.

6. The active head restraint system of claim 5 wherein the controller further comprises computer-executable instructions to:

identify a secondary impact; and

re-enable at least one of the sensor and the actuator when the head is not in contact with the head restraint.

7. The active head restraint system of claim 1 wherein the controller further comprises computer-executable instructions to disable head restraint actuation if the occupant'"'"'s head is in contact with the head restraint.

8. An active head restraint system comprising:

an actuator adapted to be mounted to a vehicle seat for actuating a head restraint;

a sensor for detecting a position of an occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint; and

a controller in communication with the actuator, the sensor, and a triggering element for detecting a current or impending impact event, the controller comprising computer executable instructions to;

receive an impact signal;

receive the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint as input to determine whether to enable actuation of the head restraint;

actuate the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head based on the input; and

manipulate a velocity of the head restraint during actuation in response to the position of the occupant'"'"'s head to optimize the velocity of the head restraint toward the occupant'"'"'s head.

9. The active head restraint system of claim 8 further comprising the triggering element for detecting an impact event.

10. The active head restraint system of claim 8 wherein the sensor transmits a signal to enable the actuator when the head is not in contact with the head restraint, the actuator being enabled during one or more instances of non-contact.

11. The active head restraint system of claim 10 wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to:

receive a frontal impact signal from the triggering element which enables head restraint actuation;

receive the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint;

actuate the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head; and

control head restraint actuation in response to the impact signal and the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint to optimize movement of the head restraint as the head restraint moves proximate to the occupant'"'"'s head.

12. The active head restraint system of claim 8 wherein the controller further includes computer-executable instructions to disable head restraint actuation if the occupant'"'"'s head is in contact with the head restraint.

13. The active head restraint system of claim 8 wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to decelerate the head restraint prior to contact with the occupant'"'"'s head to reduce the velocity at which the occupant'"'"'s head contacts the head restraint.

14. The active head restraint system of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to control a travel velocity of the head restraint as a function of a distance traveled wherein a first travel velocity is greater than a second travel velocity at which the occupant'"'"'s head contacts the head restraint.

15. The active head restraint system of claim 14 wherein the travel velocity of the head restraint changes at a predetermined time.

16. The active head restraint system of claim 8, wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to decelerate the head restraint prior to contact with the occupant'"'"'s head to reduce the force at which the head restraint contacts the occupant'"'"'s head to be controlled.

17. The active head restraint system of claim 8 wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to:

determine a time required for the head restraint to contact the occupant'"'"'s head as a function of distance; and

control the velocity of the head restraint as a function of the determined time to the occupant'"'"'s head.

18. The active head restraint system of claim 8 wherein the controller further comprises computer executable instructions to control the force at which the head restraint contacts the occupant'"'"'s head as a function of a determined time required for the head restraint to make contact with the occupant'"'"'s head.

19. A method for actuating an active head restraint system for a vehicle seat, the method comprising:

sending an impact signal to a controller in response to a current or impending impact event;

receiving a position of an occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint;

transmitting the received position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint to a controller in order to determine whether to enable actuation of the head restraint;

actuating the head restraint to move towards the occupant'"'"'s head based on the determination; and

controlling head restraint actuation in response to the impact signal and the position of the occupant'"'"'s head to optimize movement of the head restraint as the head restraint moves proximate to the occupant'"'"'s head.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

estimating the position of the occupant'"'"'s head relative to the head restraint; and

manipulating a velocity of the head restraint during actuation in response to the position of the occupant'"'"'s head to optimize the velocity of the head restraint during contact with the occupant'"'"'s head.